Dinnertime

A bear viewing platform is a wonderful place to see wildlife. We saw eagles and lots of fish struggling for a place to spawn. They swim miles to this area.
During the summer people visit here from all over the world to see bears feeding on the fish. Along the viewing platform people hang out with their telephoto camera equipment to get that wonderful shot. People have traveled into north western BC along Glacier HWY for about 68 km. Then they go through Stewart across the border into Hyder, on gravel/mud roads for about 4 miles to wait for a bear to come out to feed. Some people were here from Holland and Germans in tour buses come here every summer. (the instruction signs are written in English & German)
We talked with a couple from California who have been coming here for at least 7 years with taking BEAR photos as their main reason.
Note the photo of the bear paparrazzi!

The Fish Creek experience.

We were told by different people to go and see the fish and the bears! We found a bear watching platform on our way to view the glacier.

A terrible odour of rotting fish came into the truck as we were driving. Shortly after that we found the viewing platform. We saw hundreds of large salmon trying to swim upstream to spawn. This was the end of the cycle of life and the beginning of a new one. This platform and elevated walkway was used for spectators to view the bear feeding area. (see the following blog).

Temperate Rainforest

Stewart and Hayder are located at the head of the Portland Canal, a narrow saltwater fjord approximately 90 miles/ 140 km long.

Stewart has a deep harbour and is Canada's most northerly ice free port. The climate is "maritime" with warm winters and cool rainy summers. Heavy snowfalls occur in the winter. The area is well known for its several glaciers.
We traveled 24 km on a very treacherous road to view the Salmon Glacier (the picture). After having waited a fairly long time the cloud cover lifted and we took this photo.

The area is considered a temperate rain forest. We noticed moss hanging on the trees many miles north of Stewart.

Glacier Road.

We drove south west off the Cassiar highway on a paved spur road called The Stewart-Hyder access road. The locals call this road Glacier highway because several glaciers can be seen in this area. This truly is an isolated area. Stewart is in BC and Hyder is just across a landbridge in Alaska. The economy is driven by tourism, forestry and mining. Between 30 and 50 thousand people visit this area every year however we saw signs of a decaying isolated area. Stewart is far more prosperous than Hyder. It has paved streets.
Hyder is all mud.

Scenic - quiet - MOUNTAIN SHADOW RV park.

The condition of the Cassiar highway improved as we traveled south from Jade City. After a full day of travel we arrived at Mountain Shadow RV park. It was a tough road and we were happy to put the legs of the RV (and ours) on the ground. The only sound we could hear was the wind in the trees. Later we heard a couple of owls.
This is by far the most isolated area in which we have traveled. We drove for miles without seeing any activity of any kind. It was a good plan to stock on groceries at Costco in Anchorage. There are signs on the highway telling you to make sure you have enough fuel for the next 150 km.

It should be noted that we were told that a lot of wildlife could be seen while driving the highway. We saw 1 fox, a ground squirrel and 3 bears disappearing into the woods. Does the ground squirrel count as wild life?

The owners of the RV park had seen a wolf earlier in the day.




Ruth is enjoying the view.
Note her new Jade earrings. All we wanted to spend on jade was LIFESAVER size.

Cassiar Highway South.

In Yukon, at the beginning of our trip back to Ontario via Edmonton we decided to take a different route from Watson Lake. We went south on Hwy 37 (Cassiar Highway). This highway was recommended by several people and was stated to be a scenic route in northern British Columbia.

Here we go again with bumpy, wavy pavement, gravel sections, washboard, no shoulders, very few guard rails and steep descents and grades with many gravel and logging trucks using the highway. These road conditions lasted all the way to Jade City. This isn't exactly a city but rather 2 stores that sell Jade and other precious stones that have been mined in the Cassiar Mountain Range. The Jade mined here accounts for 75% of the world's supply.
The Jade is mined and shipped out to New Zealand and other places to be fashioned into many different products.

Skagway-Carcross Road

When we left Whitehorse we decided to take a sidetrip on the South Klondike Highway (Skagway-Carcross Road). We stopped at Carcross which is a historic town and has the old White Pass and Yukon Route train station as their Visitor Reception Centre. Cruise passengers take a train trip or bus transportation between Skagway and Whitehorse, with Carcross as a stopping point. By taking this trip they can say that they have been in both the Yukon and Alaska. Historic Carcross was formerly known as Caribou Crossing because the large number of Caribou that traversed the narrows.
Carcross became a stopping point for the Gold Stampedes on their way to the Klondike goldfields. It was a major stop on the White Pass and Yukon Route rail road from 1900 until 1982 , when the railway ceased operation. Passengers and freight transferred from rail to stern-wheelers at Carcross. One of these stern-wheelers was a historic site here in town until it burnt in 1990.

Crews laying track for the White Pass and Yukon Route from Skagway met the crew from Whitehorse at Carcross.
A golden spike was set in place on July 29 , 1900.

We visited the oldest General store in the Yukon which is Matthew Watsons General store.

Fall in The Yukon

During our short drive to Whitehorse Tuesday, September 5th the meadows, regrowth fire burned forests, the red fireweed along the roadside and mountains were drenched with sunlight.
We arrived before 1PM. Enjoy the photos however they do not paint a true picture!

When we arrived in Whitehorse we checked the fish ladder but it was closed as the fish had all completed their treck to spawn.
(Read a selection by Robert Service, a Whitehorse, Yukon poet)

The arrangements have been completed to have our halibut and salmon shipped to Durham, Ontario and stored in our family's freezer. We will be having a dinner of freshly caught fish when we return to Ontario in October.

Back in Canada!

On Labour day we traveled from Glennallen, Alaska to Haines Junction, Canada. It was a perfect travel day as there was very little traffic and none of the road construction projects was active. A narrow winding section of the Alaska Highway was followed around Kluane Lake. This beautiful lake is the largest in the Yukon covering approximately 154 square miles/400 square km.
This route is well known for its abundant wildlife sightings: bears, Dall sheep and Trumpeter swans. We were not disappointed! We spotted approximately two dozen of the graceful white swans on small lakes and some flying with the backdrop of the dark mountains with the sun shining on them. What a beautiful sight!

These three bears crossed the highway in front of us and then proceeded to casually drink from a small pond. The curious cub picked up a plastic bag for further investigation while the other cub went along with their mom..

The pictures are taken with a 300 mm lens a handheld camera from inside the truck.

Leaving Alaska with Mixed Feelings

On Sunday, September 3rd., a beautiful, sunny day we travelled from Anchorage along the Glenn Highway to Glennallen. The scenery along this road was spectacular so we made frequent stops to bask in the sun and the glory of creation! The road wound between mountain peaks to the north and to the south and gave us a view of the Matanuska and Nelchina glaciers. The Nelchina glacier winds downward through a cleft in the Chugach Mountains.

Iron oxide gives several of the mountains an unique colour. Fall is here as the expanses of treed areas leading one's eyes up to the mountains are a mix of yellow, with red ground cover dotted by black appearing, tall and thin evergreen trees.

As we absorbed this glory we are saddened to think that we may never be this way again.

Culture shock - Anchorage; again!

Well, here we are in Anchorage again! Are we in the same city? The last time it seemed so different! No, the city has not changed but we have as we are in the same park as we were on our way to the Keni Peninsula. Somehow the park is not as peaceful or as appealing as it was two months ago. This is the park where we found the German Tourist bus to be our only divergence and the ulu knife was unique and interesting. In June we visited the ulu factory which is thinly disguised as a cultural destination but is a tourist purchasing outlet. How two months in an isolated village can change one's outlook.

Since the beginning of July a very peaceful, quiet, fishing village has been our home. The change from the serene landscape of Ninilchik to just 200 miles North is overwhelming as we sit in our mobile cabin and listen to the roar of motors and to the pounding sound of blasting music and have a pit bull running loose through the area scaring our little boy, Winston. This is not a large city so we realize we have some mental adjustments to make as we travel back to Ontario. If we had our choice we would stay in Ninilchik. Ruth has always longed for a cabin in the woods with no phone or junk mail.
So, in a reasonably isolated area, Alaska (remember the localized news & weather) if we find the crush of city activities too much after two months in an accessible small village we marvel at the adaptability of the native people over the past hundred years.

Last Day at The Alaskan Angler RV Resort

September 1st 2006.

Our last day in Ninilchik has been a beautiful, sunny, calm day! We have had many cold ones with high winds and steady rain. A fellow camper (Alaskan) told us that this summer is the kind that used to be experienced every year! We are looking forward to another radiant sunset by 10:00. Tomorrow by 10:00 AM we expect to be on our way to Anchorage which will be our first stop on our way to Tok and then the Canadian border.


Today was also a good day for the three boats that went out. An unusually (for regular daily catch) large halibut was snagged by one person. Jannich got a photo about five minutes before the support (the top beam) holding the fish broke in half. We guess the post had too much use over the summer!

The sunset tonight was nothing to write home about so here is one 3 days old! It depicts Mt.Iliamna.